SAHRC to hold farm murder hearings

Johannesburg - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will hold a public hearing about farm murders, AfriForum said on Wednesday.

“(SAHRC chairman) Adv Lawrence Mushwana confirmed to AfriForum in a letter that the commission has come to a decision to hold a public trial regarding farm murders,” AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets said in a statement.

AfriForum had requested a hearing into farm attacks, which it believed were not receiving enough attention.

Roets said government did not publish statistics on these crimes.

“Years back, government recognised that farmers were targeted in exceptionally brutal attacks, but now, a total denial of the true extent of the crisis prevails.”

AfriForum had asked the commission to look into the matter and would make all its relevant resources available to the commission.

A spokesman for the commission was not immediately available to confirm the hearings. - Sapa